Matthew Burnham Interview

Matt, WOW you are the man! Great Job-

Re Post from
One Flew Over The Church http://oneflewoverthechurch.net/node/133

Tue, 08/19/2008 - 08:41 — Sam

As you all know by now, the inmates here at One Flew take great pleasure in hearing the stories of people touched by and working in non-traditional and even irregular ways to spread the Gospel and make disciples. So I thought I'd share an interview with my little brother, Matthew Burnham. He is a volunteer at an irregular church here in our hometown and has really brought me a lot of smiles and even a few laughs with the stories that he has shared about a wonderful place called "XL Wired". Yep, that is the name of the church. Ok, I better quit using "that nasty C-word" when describing "XL". It has been a long time since Matt and I were in a fight and to be honest he doesn't fight fair and I'm too old to be getting my butt whipped by my brother. I'll leave all the getting whipped stuff to Joel and just let you read about XL for yourself.

OFOTC: I know that XL Wired has had a big impact on you and many other people. Tell us a little about XL - what it is, how it works, how it is different than your standard church.
MB: XL Wired is simply a church for people that don't like or have been turned away from a traditional church. We don't have any stand up, sit down, straight laced rules.If you feel like standing, go for it. If not, then don't. We also don't pass an offering plate. It is totally up to you if you want to donate or not. They just want to help you get connected to God.

OFOTC: What is the allure that draws people to XL that aren't "The Usual Suspects" for "Traditional Church"?:
MB: The thing that gets people is they want to know what people mean by saying XL is a church that's not really church. All we are really told to say is that its not "CHURCH". I have been asked if we handle snakes or start fires to burn out the evil spirits. The only answer that I give people that ask me that is why don't you just come and see. If you like it, we would love to have you. If not, we may not be for you and that's fine. We have a full coffee bar, slushy machine and all the free Coke products you can drink. What more do you need?

OFOTC: Tell us a little bit about how you came to be involved at XL Wired.
MB: I didn't really have a choice. Once I started going I was so pumped, I knew I needed to be a part of it. It's a great place to be a volunteer, to get to know and help people.

OFOTC: Tell us about a typical service at XL:
MB: XL doesn't do anything typical. Our speaker has preached from a casket. Everything is done in series format. We do different stage sets and themes every couple weeks.

OFOTC: Ok, you can't just say that your speaker preached from a casket and expect me to say, "Oh, that's pretty cool" and move on to the next question. What was it that got a minister in a casket to preach a message? What was that theme?
MB: See, that's the whole point of XL. I said that and it made you think. The point of him doing that was to show people that you never know when you will get your last chance to give your life to the Lord. He was carried to the stage with Hells Bells playing in the background and he did the whole service in the casket. It was amazing, a lot of lives changed that night.

OFOTC: In what way(s) have you benefited from XL in a way(s) that you feel the mainstream church could not have?
MB: Well being turned away from a couple of "traditional churches" because of the way I looked and the way I dressed put a big wedge in my faith. XL lets you be you. People at XL don't care where you have been or how you have lived your life, they are just happy to see you and will make you feel welcome. I have been going for just over two years now and I have never seen anyone turned away.

OFOTC: Has XL caught a lot of flak from the more traditional churches in the area?:
MB: When XL first started out we had a lot of problems from churches and people in the area. People didn't see it for what it really is. We had the cops called to us, we had people post very stupid pictures in the newspaper and rumors were really holding us down. All we had to say to these people was "just come on by and check us out and see what we are really about". As time went on, things changed and people found out XL was doing a great thing and the pictures in the newspaper got a lot better and our project was growing.

OFOTC: Tell us the story about the man who showed up drunk and had to be helped inside:
MB: One night several of the volunteers were standing around the back door welcoming people as they came in. This guy walks up to the door and tries his best to get into the building. As he's falling into the door, two of the guys catch him and realize he's drunk. They helped him to the back row of seats and sat there with him. They could have turned him away, but instead they welcomed him in and sat with him the whole time and then after the service was over one of the guys took him home because he didn't want him driving.That man came back many times but I never saw him drunk again.


OFOTC: What's this I hear about a motorcycle "club" showing up at XL?:
MB: We had a great turnout on Sunday, August 10th. XL gave a motorcycle ride for our annual "XL Gives Back" event. We had members of The Freedom Seekers of Rome come out and lead the ride and these guys did a great job. We also had members of Low Profile of Rome (Low-profilemc.com) and some guys from Servants Of Last Chance Ministries (Lastchanceministries.com) also came out to help. All of this was to raise money to remodel a home in our town for someone who really needs it. Everyone involved did a great job and we will be looking to go even bigger and better next year. Just so everyone knows, these guys didn't just come for the ride, they stayed and listened to the message as well.

OFOTC, I remember seeing a poster about a HALO 3 tournament at XL a while back, what was that about?:
MB: The HALO 3 tournament was a way to get another group of people in the door. The way it worked was just like any tournament. We had teams sign up and if your team made it to the final round, it was an all for one playoff. The winner got a brand new XBOX 360. We did a service with a great message that wound up bringing a couple people to know God. The whole point of XL doing things like this is so we can get people to check us out, all we want is to get you in the door.

OFOTC: Do you have any advice to anyone that might try to start a ministry such as XL or that might like to minister to the "XL kind of folks" in their area?:
MB: I hope that you know how to pray. We have a lot of great people who have volunteered money and time but it takes so much more to stay up. Our volunteers don't spend much time with their families and they all have regular jobs that they already do on top of them helping us. Another thing is that you can't give up. These people really need you and if you are willing to try this then someone will listen. You just have to find them and grab their attention and don't let go. After that happens, its no longer up to you. It's between that person and God. Just remember: one saved soul will open the door for other lost souls to get closer to God.

OFOTC: What have you learned from the people you have worked with while serving at XL?:
MB: I have a couple of things that really stand out. One is that people from all walks of life are one in the same at XL. We have ex-drug addicts, ex-alcoholics, ex-cons and we even have people that have always lived their life for the Lord. The second thing is one that is always talked about at XL. The main thing with XL is getting the point across that God has a plan for your life and, believe it or not, it is better than yours. You give Him the power and the glory and He will provide you with everything you need. Check us out on the web at XLWIRED.COM